In the United States, the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution grants each state and territory the power to regulate intoxicating liquors within their jurisdiction. As such, laws pertaining to the production, sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol vary significantly across the country.

On July 17, 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was enacted. The Act required all states to either set their minimum age to purchase alcoholic beverages and the minimum age to possess alcoholic beverages in public to no lower than 21 years of age or lose 10% (Changed to 8% in 2012) of their allocated federal highway funding if the minimum age for the aforementioned is lower than 21 years of age. As of July 1988, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had a minimum purchase age of 21, with some grandfather clauses, and with the exception of Louisiana's complicated legal situation that was not resolved until July 2, 1996. Prior to 1988, the minimum purchase age varied by jurisdiction. After enactment of the Act, states not in compliance had a portion of their federal highway budget withheld. South Dakota and Wyoming were the final two states to comply, in mid-1988. Since the Act does not restrict the minimum drinking age or the minimum age to possess alcohol in private, most states continue to allow those under 21 to drink in certain circumstances. Examples are some states like Tennessee and Washington, which allow those under 21 to drink for religious purposes. States including Oregon and New York allow those under 21 to drink on private non-alcohol selling premises. Some states like Ohio allow under 21 to drink in private and public including bars and restaurants if accompanied by parents, guardians, or spouse that is 21 or older.

The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 requires all states to impose a "zero-tolerance law" prohibiting drivers under 21 years of age from operating a motor vehicle with at least 0.02% blood alcohol content to discourage underage drinking. Any state that did not comply would have up to 10 percent of its federal highway funding withheld, the same strategy used to compel states into raising their drinking age to 21.

Unlike within the United States, the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have a minimum purchasing age and drinking age of 18 since the language of the Act only applies the provisions of the Act to states. The minimum purchase age is 21 in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.

United States military reservations are exempt under federal law from state, county, and locally enacted alcohol laws. Class Six stores in a base exchange facility, officers' or NCO clubs, as well as other military commissaries which are located on a military reservation, may sell and serve alcoholic beverages at any time during their prescribed hours of operation to authorized patrons.The United States Department of Defense defines Authorized Patron as a person who is an active member of or a member who has the status of honorably retired from the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the United States Navy, and their direct dependents with proper military identification/dependents identification. While the installation commander is free to set the drinking age, with some exceptions, most stateside military bases have a drinking age that mirrors the local community.

Individual states remain free to restrict or prohibit the manufacture of beer, mead, hard cider, wine, and other fermented alcoholic beverages at home. Homebrewing beer became legal in all 50 states in 2013 as the governors of Mississippi and Alabama both signed bills legalizing homebrewing that year. The Alabama bill went into effect on May 9, and the Mississippi bill went into effect on July 1. Most states allow brewing of beer per adult per year and up to a maximum of per household annually when there are two or more adults residing in the household. Because alcohol is taxed by the federal government via excise taxes, homebrewers are prohibited from selling any beer they brew. This similarly applies in most Western countries. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed into law a bill allowing home beers, which was at the time not permitted without paying the excise taxes as a holdover from the prohibition of alcoholic beverages (repealed in 1933).Donald J. Smith, Life, liberty and the pursuit of homebrewing ,The Birmingham News, May 21, 2012 This change also exempted home brewers from posting a "penal bond" (which is currently $1,000.00).

Production of liquor (distilled beverages) is regulated at the national level under USC Title 26 subtitle E Ch51. Numerous requirements must be met to do so, and production carries an excise tax. Owning or operating a distillation apparatus without filing the proper paperwork and paying the taxes carries federal criminal penalties.

In land or property that is being rented or owned by the federal government, state, federal district, and territory alcohol laws do not apply. Instead, only laws made by the federal government apply.

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Table

Alabama–Hawaii

Statefederal district or territoryAlcoholic beverage control stateAlcohol sale hoursGrocery store salesAgeNotesBeerWineDistilled spiritsOn-premisesOff-premisesBeerWineDistilled SpiritsPurchasingConsumptionAlabamaYesProhibited between midnight and noon on Sundays in some counties. Private clubs, which require a membership fee and a membership card, have no day or time restrictions.YesNo2121 No exceptions to the law13.9% ABV cap on beerBeer containers may not exceed 25.4 ounces (0.75 L)ABV > 14.9% wine sold in ABC storesAlcohol may be served 24 hours a day unless restricted by local ordinances. Twenty-six of Alabama's 67 counties do not allow the sale of alcohol. However, possession and consumption remain legal within those 26 counties. Of the 26 "dry" counties, 23 have at least one "wet" city; these are considered "moist" dry counties. Within those 23 counties there are 43 wet cities. State law allows any city with a population greater than 1,000 located within a dry county to "go wet" if a referendum is passed by 50% of voters. State retains monopoly over wholesaling of distilled spirits only.

Distilled spirits (liquor) are purchasable in either state-owned retail liquor stores, known as ABC stores, or privately owned retail liquor stores. Privately owned retail liquor stores tend to be open on Sundays, public (federal & state) holidays, and later hours than state-owned liquor stores. State-owned liquor stores are closed on Sundays and public holidays. If a state-owned liquor store is located in an unincorporated area, only the state sales tax and county sales tax is collected. AlaskaNo8a.m. – 5a.m.,Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Retrieved 2013-07-21. except election days (liquor stores may not open until polls close)No (although many grocery stores have separate areas that sell all forms of alcoholic beverages and many bars sell packaged liquor as well)21 21 Exception: Underage drinking allowed for medical purposes, and on private non-alcohol selling premises with parental consent Alaska under age alcohol consumption law . Retrieved 2015-01-11.Most communities have more restrictive laws, ranging from restrictions on operating hours to bans on sale and possession. Sellers or servers may not, for any reason, give a person alcohol for free or sell it for less than its cost. Sellers and servers may drink while on duty, but no intoxicated person may remain on the premises, so an impaired server could be arrested.ArizonaNo6a.m. – 2a.m. seven days a week—no election day nor holiday restrictions Yes2121 Exception: Underage drinking allowed for religiousArizona Revised Statute 4-249 and medical purposesArizona under age alcohol consumption law . Retrieved January 11, 2015. Sales of any type of alcohol are legal at any store that has an off-premises liquor license, including but not limited to convenience stores and grocery stores. Bars may sell closed containers of alcohol for consumption off the premises. Drive-through liquor stores are allowed. Rectified spirit of 190 proof (95% ABV) is legal. A large percentage of the land area of Arizona is on Indian reservations, many of which have liquor laws considerably more restrictive than state law, up to and including total prohibition. "Beer busts" (all the beer/liquor one can drink for a set price) in bars are illegal. Persons 18 years of age or older may work in bars and liquor stores serving and selling alcohol. Patrons may not purchase for on premises consumption more than 50 ounces of beer, 1 liter of wine or 4 ounces of distilled spirits at one time.Arizona Revised Statute 4-244(23) DUI penalties are some of the most severe in the nation. A person convicted of a DUI (even first offense) must have an interlock installed in his car for one year. Arizona has an 'Impaired to the Slightest Degree' law that can convict a person even if his BAC is less than .08%. As a driver's BAC increases, so does the severity of the legal consequences they face. A driver with a BAC between .15 and .20 may face "extreme DUI" charges, and a driver with a BAC above .20 may face "super extreme DUI" charges.ArkansasNo7a.m. – 1a.m. (Restaurants)7a.m. – 2a.m. (Class A license)10a.m. – 5a.m. (Class B license)7a.m. – 1a.m.(Generally prohibited on Sundays, but exceptions can be made through local option.)YesNo2121 No exceptions to the lawHas numerous dry counties and other dry areas, but private clubs can serve even in dry areas. No sales on Christmas Day.

Alcohol sales are permitted 24 hours a day 7 days a week regardless of holiday in state casinos.CaliforniaNo6a.m. – 2a.m.Yes2121 Exception: A minor will not be penalized for possessing or consuming alcohol if:(1)The underage person called 911 and reported that either himself or herself or another person was in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption;(2) The underage person was the first person to make the 911 report; and(3) The underage person, who reported that another person was in need of medical assistance, remained on the scene with the other person until that medical assistance arrived and cooperated with medical assistance and law enforcement personnel on the scene.Relatively unrestricted; beer, wine and liquor available at grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and warehouse clubs. No statewide holiday restrictions. Motor vehicles entering from Mexico may only import 1 liter of alcohol (duty-free). Sale or distribution of grain alcohol higher than 60% ABV is illegal (legal if it is sold by a pharmacy or drug store to a person with a prescription), but there is no upper limit for other distilled liquors (B&P 23403). You may serve alcohol if you are at least 21 years of age.City and county governments can set different sale hours.18-, 19- and 20-year-old wine and beer production students can taste—but not consume—what they are making and studying. Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification is mandatory for on-premises alcohol servers and managers statewide (effective July 1, 2022).ColoradoNo7a.m. – 2a.m.Beer, wine, and liquor: 8a.m. – midnight